31 December, 2016

My final wargaming packages of 2016 both arrived Friday, so I thought I'd share the contents. They should keep me busy for a while.

The first package was from Hasslefree Miniatures, ordered during their post-Thanksgiving sale and en route for several weeks. Besides the two pieces of candy, it contained ten 28mm miniatures.

The top row (l-r) are for use in post-apocalypse or 7TV games. The first is a steampunk mini that I just liked. The second appears to be inspired by the Kate Beckinsale character in the 'Underworld' movies. The third is an especially nice archer. Most of my post-apoc miniatures have firearms, so it is good to have some different weapons. The fourth is a martial artist, and will be used as a 7TV hero.

The bottom row consists of six miniatures in power armor. I plan on using them with the This is Not a Test rules as the core of a Preserver force. The third from the left, the one not wearing a helmet, will be the leader. I really like this mini, seeing it on the website is what gave me the impetus to order the whole group.

The second package was from The Warstore. I ordered it on Tuesday during their after-Christmas sale and it arrived on Friday; great service from them as always. In the picture below are (l-r): 1. An issue of Wargames Illustrated from June 2012, they are giving away random old issues for free. The theme is the Jacobite rebellion, so I'll have something good to read. 2. A set of Army Painter sculpting tools. 3. Some P3 brass rod for pinning. 4. Green stuff. 5. Three Perry Crusader knights (code CU6). 6. A bottle of Vallejo Rust Wash and a bottle of Army Painter Matte varnish.

In the past I haven't done much with green stuff other than filling gaps. I want to experiment with it in 2017, hence the sculpting tools . The Rust Wash will be used on some pieces of post-apocalypse terrain. The Perry knights will be added to my SAGA Crusader army, I like the overhand pose and have wanted this pack for a while.

I painted this Pre-Islamic Arab DBA army in the early 2000s. I chose them because they can be an opponent for several of my armies including Seleucid, Abyssinian, Early Imperial Roman, Palmyran, & Arab Conquest. In the current version of DBA 3, they are classified as list II/23a, Later Pre-Islamic Arab (Nomad version).

The miniatures are 15mm Essex. They do not have a lot of visual appeal as they are almost entirely in white tunics/loincloths. They were not much of a challenge to paint, but they did go quickly.

Seven elements of infantry armed with sword and spear (Bd). I varied the poses on each stand, as there are a good number of pose variants, though you may not be able to tell as they are all dressed alike.

Two elements of Light Horse. The one on the right serves as the General (he is in red).

An element of archers (Bw) in the center, flanked by two elements of slingers (Ps)

Four elements of Archers mounted on camels (Cm), with an element of camel-mounted scouts (LCm) on the right. I added a second camel rider to one of the 3 camels on each stand for variety.

23 December, 2016

I bought these 28mm miniatures at Cold Wars 2015, after surviving the drive from South Carolina to Pennsylvania through a raging snowstorm. They are made by Eureka Miniatures and come in a set of 8. They are listed on their website as 'Private Military Contractors', though the set I bought was labeled as 'Blackwater Contractors'. They are good castings, with little to no flash and lots of small details.

They are a useful set, and while I originally painted them for use in the post-apocalypse game Across the Dead Earth, they have also seen action in games of 7TV and Doctor Who. I plan on using them for This is Not a Test as I start learning those rules.

Some of the poses are similar, but they are all different, with varied weapons and heads. All have body armor. I used a lot of khaki, olive and gray, adding some blue and red for a bit of color.

Fun fact: for games which require individual stats, I've given them names 'borrowed' from my old gaming group in Ohio.

First Squad: I really like the running pose (second from left). It is the only one with facial hair.

Second squad: I gave the kneeling one on the left a Hawaiian shirt. I use the second from the left (with raised hand) as a leader.

21 December, 2016

The Doctor Who stories 'Human Nature' and 'Family of Blood' (2007) feature animated scarecrows terrorizing a village in 1913 England. At the climax, they attack an English boys' school. I've painted a dozen scarecrows for use in a scenario derived from this game and for more general use in games of 7TV.

I bought 8 of them on clearance from the now-defunct Architects of War a few years ago. They are Woodbine Miniatures made by Gripping Beast and listed as 'Scary Scarecrows' in their catalog. Woodbine has a small range and include several other packs inspired by the aforementioned Doctor Who stories. There are 4 different poses.

The last 4 are 'Corn Dolls' made by Crooked Dice. These come as 2 different bodies, with separate arms allowing for more poses.

I painted them all at once in 2014 or 2015, using various shades of brown paint. The straw was painted with Iron Wind Dun and highlighted with Musket Miniatures New Thatch. They painted up very quickly.

The red group of Woodbine scarecrows, so called because they all have red neck scarves. They have some nice details, with random tears in their clothing and straw sticking out.

The blue group of Woodbine horrors shambles forward.

These are the Crooked Dice corn dolls. They have a bit more detail than the Woodbine ones, and the separate arms allow for more variation.